"It is just a question of who will hold out best."

I thought I knew who those would be; and a shiver for a moment
ran through my heart. Christian had said, that the success of
his suit with my father and mother might depend on how the war
went. And certainly, if the struggle should be at all
prolonged and issue in the triumph of the rebels, they would
have little favour for the enemies they would despise. How if
the war went for the North?

I believe I lost several sentences of my companion in the
depth of my musing; remembered this would not do; shook off my
thoughts and talked gayly, until we came to the place where he
said the drilling process was going on. I wondered if it were
the right place; then made sure that it was; and sat on my
horse looking and waiting, with my heart in a great flutter.
The artillery wagons were rushing about; I recognised _them;_
and a cloud of dust accompanied and swallowed up their
movements, a little too distant from me just now to give room
for close observation.

"Well, how do you like it, Miss Randolph?" my major began,
with a tone of some exultation at my supposed discomfiture.

"It is very confused -" I said. "I do not see what they are
doing."

"No more than you could if it was a battle," said the major.